Ellevate Network: Conversations With Women Changing the Face of Business

When Kirsten Turner, Senior Managing Director at RBC Wealth Management, had to pick between her family and career, she went ahead and picked both. Taking an unconventional path to wealth management, Kirsten joins us this week to talk about being a young single mother in the financial industry, the career moves she has made while having kids, and surviving the 2008 financial crisis on top of it all. On this episode, she shares the behind-the-scenes look into having “having it all,” the impact her parents had on her growing up, and creating an environment for inclusion within the workplace.

When Nataly Kogan realized that although she had the perfect job and family on paper, there was something missing from her life, she founded Happier - dedicated to helping individuals find more joy in everyday moments and get through difficult ones with compassion and resilience. Focusing on the science of happiness, Nataly talks about how she came up with the idea for her company, Happier, and why it’s important to practice gratitude and self compassion. On this episode, she focuses on the importance of creating kinder relationships with ourselves, being able to beat the feeling of not being enough, and the importance of companies focusing on the happiness and well-being of their employees for success.

When Marina Darlow, the CEO and Founder of Vision Framework, started working in a male-dominated tech engineering company as an immigrant in the United States, she saw that the office culture was nothing like she expected. So, she took her project management and operations skills into her own business and founded Vision Framework. On this episode, Marina talks about running an online business, how to trust someone when expanding a business, the transition from large companies to start-ups, as well as the emotional side of business. She also shares her tips on how to work remotely and best practices for starting a new business.

When Alex Waldman, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Universal Standard realized that plus-size fashion was not as accessible, she decided to change the “industry standard” of sizes and introduce accessible and inclusive fashion for all women. On this episode, Alex talks about how she got her start in the fashion industry,  getting away from “the bully in your head”, and the importance of having courage to change the status quo. She also shares her tips on starting a business, as well as the power women can have to affect change in companies.

Having creative resources is one of key components for non-profits to reach large audiences. Unfortunately, many non-profits do not have access to these resources. That’s why Rachel Renock co-founded her start-up, Wethos, which connects non-profits with creative talent. The CEO discusses her story of Wethos reaching one million dollars in venture capital funds and why it is important to give women room to fail. She also shares her experiences with sexual harassment and discrimination when fundraising and approaching investors, her story around being a lesbian woman in the tech start-up industry, and how these efforts carried her to New York Times, Forbes, and to Washington, DC as an advocate.

When Alison Gutterman, CEO of Jelmar, was growing up, she had no idea that she would one day become the CEO of her family’s business. On this episode, Alison joins us to talk about her experience working for her parent, the generational differences at work, and the emotional story of how she become the CEO. She also shares the values that shaped her leadership, her experiences as an undercover researcher, and the top lessons she has learned as a leader.

When host of Real Talk Radio Nicole Antoinette quit drinking, she started running to “turn her life around”, as she puts it. Now, her excitement about the progress and physical challenge of running has translated into long distance hiking (she currently trains for the PCT trail). On this episode, Nicole talks about fear, stepping out of her comfort zone, as well as focusing on the journey and being present. As she is writing her first book, Nicole shares her tips on accountability learned through hiking, her podcast Real Talk Radio, and how she managed to close the gap between what she says and what she wants.

Since Sally Helgesen, Women’s Leadership Consultant and Author, wrote her first book about women’s leadership in 1990s, she has written numerous other books and articles, and gave workshops on the importance of characteristics of female leaders as well as the behaviors that help women get ahead. On this episode, Sally talks about the evolution of female leadership and how business and society came to embrace women leaders.She also shares her insights about characteristics of leadership, important factors that help women leaders get ahead, the behaviors that often hold woman back, as well as how to overcome them.

Miriam Grobman, Founder and CEO of Miriam Grobman Consulting, joins us for the second time on the Ellevate Podcast to talk about everything from changing careers and industries from mining, to finance and consulting. Miriam shares her tips on building and maintaining confidence, switching from an operational mindset to a strategic mindset, and what it means for women to own their influence. She shares insights to her famous courses on leadership education, strategic influence, and executive presence. Miriam also gives us some insight into what’s in store for her next and how she is working to get women ahead in business.

Nicole Spinelli and Lucila Williams of Lincoln Financial Group, one of our #MobilizeWomen Summit Sponsors, share their expertise in both the financial industry and the diversity and inclusion space as champions of women’s equality. With Nicole majoring in women’s studies and transitioning to a career in finance, and Lucila having a background in the United States Military, the dynamic duo share their stories about their transitions in the workplace. They discuss being women in the financial industry, mentors they have had along the way, as well as The WISE Group - the multidimensional women’s network within Lincoln Financial Group.